Hickory Hills Presbyterian Church has stood on the corner of 95th Street and 86th Place for more than seven decades, gathering a multi-generational congregation from across Chicago's southwest suburbs. In a community described as a place filled with great uncertainty, the church has been an anchor for many, welcoming people who want to learn together how to live and love like Jesus. Members describe it as a "family church," and its work stretches well past Sunday morning into food pantries, mission trips, and a free drive-through community meal served every month.
Sunday Worship at 10:00 a.m.
The congregation gathers for worship each Sunday morning at 10:00, with an evening service also listed on the church's calendar. The morning gathering is described as both laid back and traditional. People come as they are; some dress up, others come casual. Communion is celebrated together on the first Sunday of every month. Children and youth Sunday School runs during the 10:00 service from September through May, and nursery care is available for the youngest members of the family.
Worship is also livestreamed on Facebook Live at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday, and the recorded service is posted to the church's video page later in the week. An archive of past services stretches back several years, and a companion YouTube channel carries the most recent recordings.
The church's worship life also includes special services throughout the church year. Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday services are held, sometimes in partnership with sister congregations, and Ash Wednesday launches a season of Wednesday evening Lenten suppers, devotionals, and conversation that runs through Palm Sunday.
Values That Sound Like Family
The mission statement is short and direct: "We are called to SEEK God's Word, to SHARE and CELEBRATE God's Love, and to SERVE Jesus Christ in the world." It shapes everything from Sunday morning to monthly meal service. The congregation describes itself through five values:
- Family. When you are with HHPC, you are family. The church welcomes anyone, regardless of where they come from or what they are carrying.
- Service and generosity. A wide variety of missions flow out of the congregation, most centered around food, and a deep impulse to help when a need is seen.
- Being together, for a purpose. Though a small body, the congregation stays active in many different ministries and is at its best when working together.
- Tenacity. A "stick-to-it" church that does not give up on each other, on neighbors, or on God's work.
- Food. All events include snacks; worship always spills into shared fellowship; feeding others is a central calling.
From North Palos Sunday School to Today's Congregation
The congregation's story begins in September 1951, when a Sunday school opened in the North Palos School building across the street from what would become the church's permanent home. In November of that year, an organization was formed under the name "North Palos Community Church." On January 18, 1953, the Presbytery of Chicago granted a charter, and the name was changed to "Hickory Hills Community Church." In 1966, the word "community" was dropped, and the church took on its current name, Hickory Hills Presbyterian Church.
Two building expansions shaped the campus. In December 1999 the first expansion added a gym, new offices, and classrooms. The second expansion, dedicated in 2003, brought the new Sanctuary. The Women's Association started the congregation's first mitten-and-sock collection in the 1960s and 1970s, a tradition that returned in 1988 as the "Tree of Warmth" and continues today.
In April 2000, the church took part in a Presbytery of Chicago merger with Trinity Presbyterian Church and Chicago Ridge Presbyterian Church. The merger expanded the deacon board, brought new ministries, and carried over the Fund for the Human Need, which still blesses neighbors in need while preserving the benefactors' anonymity. Mission Council 8, a partnership of Chicagoland Presbyterian churches that tackle work no single congregation could take on, was introduced in 2000. HHPC began sending mission teams to the Appalachian Mountains of southeastern Kentucky in 2006, the same year it added REV Worship, a praise service with contemporary Christian music.
More recent calls have shaped the congregation: Lara MacGregor began as Designated Pastor in 2010 and was later called; Edie Lenz was installed in 2019 and served through June 30, 2025. Jewel Willis Thomas began as Interim Pastor in May 2026.
Growing in Faith: Sunday School, Bible Study, and Faithwalking
During the school year, children of all ages leave the 10:00 service for Sunday School, a time of learning and growing in faith. The motto "Train a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6) frames the work, and nursery care is available for the youngest. Each June, Vacation Bible School welcomes children ages 4 through fifth grade for a fun-filled week of Bible stories, songs, games, snacks, crafts, and skits, held Monday through Thursday in the evenings during the second week of June.
Adults gather for Bible Study on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. from September through early May, walking through different areas of the Bible, reading, discussing, and learning together. Faithwalking is a discipleship journey of 10-week classes offered at different times of year, helping participants learn more about God and more about themselves. Wednesday Lenten suppers combine a soup supper, a devotion, and conversation from Ash Wednesday through Palm Sunday.
Food at the Heart of Everything
It is no exaggeration that food is core to who HHPC is. The church's largest ongoing mission is a monthly Drive-Thru Community Meal, free to all who come, served from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. The purpose is to share a hot, home-cooked meal and a sign of God's love with everyone who drives through, regardless of need.
Outside the front of the building, facing 95th Street, sits the HHPC Micro-Pantry, stocked with non-perishable food for anyone in need. Its motto is "Take what you need, leave what you can." Knitters and crocheters produce Prayer Shawls for people walking through difficult seasons; each shawl is prayed over before it is gifted. Every November and December, the Tree of Warmth collects hats, gloves, mittens, and socks for neighborhood organizations that share warmth with those in need.
The church is a regular supporter of Elsie's Food Pantry, housed at Savior Divine Lutheran Church, making deliveries of food and monetary donations throughout the year. It also partners with Feed My Starving Children, packing meals that help end childhood hunger around the world; in February 2016 the congregation joined other local churches to pack 116,640 meals in a single Mobile Pack event.
Two simple recycling ministries reach beyond the neighborhood. HHPC collects pop can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, joining its million-tabs club at one hospital and working toward the same goal at Christ Hospital. Clean plastic lids and caps, including those from milk jugs and detergent bottles, are sorted and recycled into park benches and picnic tables. The blue bench in front of the church is a result of that work, and Michael Swearingen, who grew up in the church with his family, oversees the ministry.
Through Mission Council 8, HHPC also partners with other Presbyterian churches to serve the Jones Community Center in Chicago Heights, a community center that hosts after-school tutoring, activities, dinner for children, and a Friday meal for the homeless. Volunteers have painted, cleaned, built a computer room, helped construct a play lot, and served Thanksgiving and Christmas meals alongside staff.
Beyond these local ministries, the church supports national mission work through the Presbyterian Church (USA), including One Great Hour of Sharing.
Life Together Beyond Sunday
Every Sunday morning, the service flows into a time of fellowship with snacks and conversation. A monthly newsletter, The Connecting Link, keeps members informed; an archive stretches back to 2016.
Seasonal fellowship traditions fill out the calendar. The Indoor Yard Sale, held the second week of May from Thursday through Saturday, fills the gym with donated items and raises money for the church's ministries; donations begin the week after Easter. Trunk or Treat on the last Sunday of October from noon to 2:00 p.m. invites members to decorate car trunks, hand out candy, and give neighborhood kids a safe place to trick-or-treat. In December, the Christmas Tea gathers the ladies of the church, friends, and family for snacks, treats, tea, games, and entertainment.
The building is shared with the wider community. Several outside groups use the facility for programs including yoga, walking clubs, and Bible studies, a way of treating the campus as a gift from God and a resource for the neighborhood.
Leadership and Governance
As a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), HHPC is governed by an elected and ordained body of Ruling Elders called the Session, which provides overall leadership and guidance. Elders are elected by the congregation to three-year terms, with nominations accepted each fall by the Nominating Committee. The Board of Deacons, also elected and ordained, takes the lead in connecting, caring for, and fostering fellowship in the congregation.
Staff includes Interim Pastor Jewel Willis Thomas; Director of Music Greg Rolla, who leads the morning service from the piano and coordinates special pieces with musically talented congregants; and Barb Karcz, the church secretary who serves as the main contact for information.
What to Expect When You Visit
Worship is held in a fully accessible facility. The accessible entrance is on the lower level at the East door; the front and back sanctuary doors are open on Sundays, with two parking lots to choose from. On weekdays, the office entrance at the southeast corner has a doorbell and faces 95th Street. The church office is typically open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Visitors are greeted by name and welcomed with the peace of Christ during the service, but they will not be called out from the front or asked to stand. They are invited to stay for fellowship following worship, with no obligation. Dress ranges from casual to traditional; come as you are. A donation basket is available for those who wish to give, but guests are not expected to contribute. Nursery care is available during worship, and Sunday School for children and youth is offered from September through May.
Whether someone arrives in search of answers, looking for a church home, or simply curious, HHPC's prayer is that they leave knowing more about God and the design He has for their life.